The Siemens team onboard the wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) Pacific Orca has installed the first of the 56 Siemens 6MW turbines on the 336MW Galloper wind farm off Suffolk.
The first turbine was installed from Swire Blue Ocean’s WTIV on Tuesday, 16 May, Galloper Wind Farm Limited said.
Offshore construction works are in full swing at the site located in the outer Thames Estuary, with VBNK currently installing the second export cable. Following the installation of the final export cable, Sizewell beach will be returned to its original condition in the summer.
Installation of the offshore substation, manufactured by Heerema at its fabrication base in Hartlepool on behalf of Alstom Petrofac Consortium, was completed in on 12 May.
“To reach three key milestones in the project simultaneously and see Galloper take shape after years of planning is a proud moment for all the team and the project partners,” Toby Edmonds , Project Director of Galloper Wind Farm Limited, said.
“Installing the first turbine on an offshore wind farm is always a powerful moment. It’s a tribute to our project partner and turbine supplier, Siemens, who have worked hard with the Galloper team to prepare for this major project milestone. The remaining turbines will now be installed and the project will be completed early next year.”
The installation of the project’s offshore array cables which are being installed by the VBMS vessel, the Stemat Spirit, continues with 26 of 56 array cables currently installed.
The turbines are being shipped from the purpose-built Siemens’ assembly base at Peel Ports, Great Yarmouth, where the towers are put together and prepared by a 70-strong workforce. Up to five turbines are being installed on each trip.
The construction of the Galloper project is being led on behalf of the project partners by innogy SE.